By: Erica Ludwig | Category: Health & Fitness | Issue: July 2016
Broken Arrow native Brittany Watts is presented as champion at the NPC Jr. Nationals Chamionship in Charleston. She will compete internationally in December.
Dreams wouldn’t matter as much without the fight to make them a reality. The best things in life, like a good workout, usually require some extra blood, sweat and tears.
Some see bodybuilding as just modeling or competitions to show how much weight you can lift. To Broken Arrow native Brittany Watts, it’s a master-class on personal limits and growth. It’s not just a sport, but a lifestyle. At just 5’3”, the 27 year old has just won the National Physique Committee Jr. Nationals Championship in Charleston, bringing her one step closer to her dreams of world-renowned competitions such as the Arnolds.
When it comes to training, Brittany’s motto is “be a savage”: to set a goal, work hard towards it and remain dedicated. She does this with the help of her coach, Andy Snyder, and the support of parents, Pastors Billy Joe and Theresa Watts.
“I go to the gym twice a day,” she says. “It’s a very strict life. It’s not a two-life type of thing. You have to be sold out with working out and eating right. I spend between 30 and 40 hours per week in the gym. I love it, that’s my therapy.”
Brittany started to take an interest in bodybuilding and physique competitions back in 2012 from friend Tanje Brewer, who was her Zumba instructor at the time. Since then, Brittany has put in whatever work necessary to reach her goals.
“I’ve learned in this process that I’m a fighter,” she said. “I have so much fight in me now that I don’t think anything less than the best for myself. I only see myself going the furthest possible. The Olympia, the Arnolds, those are the places I want to go. You don’t get there by not working hard.”
The Broken Arrow native is currently training for the International Federation of Bodybuilding Pro to be held in Fort Lauderdale in December. The IFBB Pro consists of some of the best in the sport, and guarantees those who win a bid to the Olympia, otherwise known as “the superbowl of bodybuilding”.
Win or lose, Brittany is determined to keep pressing forward and to never give up. She sees improvement and growth as victories all their own.
“You can only get better,” she said. “I think anybody that thinks they want to be in this sport should try it at least once. It takes a lot of strength to train and compete. A lot of people start and don’t finish. Doing this has made me a better adult, a better person and a better daughter. You don’t just start something, show up and then quit over half of the way through. This makes you responsible for what you eat, what you drink. Like anything else, you can’t put in half the effort. It’s like being a Christian and going to church, you have to be linked up and surrounded by the right people.”
Brittany attributes her success to hard work and the people who have helped her be the person she is today. To her, one of the most important things in life is to live out your dreams.
“There’s always opportunity for things to get better. I just want young people to know that. There’s always an up even when you’re feeling down. It only takes one person to get you headed in the right place. You have control over your life; don’t let anybody else tell you that you can’t be what you want to be.”
Subscribe
For Free!